Sauber doesn't need transformation, says Vasseur

New Sauber boss Frederic Vasseur insists the team does not need a transformation following the departure of Monisha Kaltenborn.

Sauber has been struggling financially for a number of years but the takeover by Longbow Finance last summer allowed the team to expand and work with more certainty. However, a disagreement between Kaltenborn and the team owners over Sauber's future direction saw the former team principal leave with immediate effect, with Vasseur brought in as her replacement last month.

With Sauber currently bottom of the constructors' championship and a clear margin off the pace of the rest of the field, Vasseur insists the ingredients are in place for better performance.

"I don't have to transform the team, to be honest," Vasseur said. "You have to put everything into perspective and the team last year was in quite a tough situation on the financial side. The restructuring went well but for sure we have to improve.

"The team structure is very good. We have very good engineers and very good technicians. For sure we have to work well, we have to invest, we have to do a lot of things but I think that everybody is pushing in the same direction. We have to do it step-by-step and we will see."

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With Vasseur leaving his previous role at Renault for similar reasons Kaltenborn departed Sauber, the Frenchman has faith he will be able to take the team in the direction he wants to.

"You never know but it's a matter of confidence. I had good discussions with the shareholders and I have the feeling that I am in a comfortable situation at this point at least."

Having only started in the role on the day after the British Grand Prix, Vasseur added it will take time for him to get a full understanding of Sauber and what the team needs moving forward.

"[I will go] step-by-step, trying to discover everyone in the company but for sure it takes time. We have 340 technicians in the team and it's not an easy deal to perform an analysis in each department, but we'll do it step-by-step."